Fargo station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fargo, ND
Fargo station in May 2017. The former Great Northern depot is on the left while the closed-off platform is on the right.
Location	420 4th Street North Fargo, ND 58102, U.S.
Owned by	BNSF Railway
Line(s)	BNSF Railway KO Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Construction
Parking	Yes; free
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	FAR
History
Opened	1906
Rebuilt	1995
Traffic
Passengers (2016)	21,586  5.9%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Grand Forks toward Seattle or Portland Empire Builder Detroit Lakes toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Valley City toward Seattle North Coast Hiawatha Detroit Lakes toward Chicago Preceding station Great Northern Railway Following station Harwood toward Seattle Main Line Via Grand Forks, Wilmar Moorhead toward St. Paul Pinkham toward Seattle Main Line Via New Rockford, St. Cloud Pinkham toward Devils Lake Devils Lake – Fargo Terminus Pinkham toward Portland Junction Portland Junction – Fargo
Great Northern Depot
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Location in North Dakota Show map of North Dakota Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Built	1906
Architect	Samuel L. Bartlett
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
Part of	Downtown Fargo District (ID83004064)
Added to NRHP	October 13, 1983.

The Fargo train station is a busy train station located in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. It is a stop for Amtrak's Empire Builder train service. This station is the only one currently used for passenger trains in the Fargo-Moorhead area. It is also the third-busiest train station in all of North Dakota.

The BNSF Railway company owns the platform, tracks, and the station building itself. Today, the station operates out of what used to be a freight house. The original main station building is now home to a bicycle shop.

History of the Fargo Train Station

As a Great Northern Railway Depot, Summer 1939.

The Fargo train station was first built in 1906 by the Great Northern Railway. A famous architect named Samuel L. Bartlett designed the building. He used a style called Romanesque Revival. This style often features round arches and strong, sturdy walls.

Bartlett also designed other train stations for the Great Northern Railway. These included stations in Minot and Rugby, both in North Dakota. The Great Northern also built a large freight warehouse nearby. This warehouse is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Early Train Services in Fargo

When the station was first built, two main railway companies served Fargo. These were the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific company. The Great Northern trains used this new station. The Northern Pacific company had its own station on Main Avenue in Fargo.

In 1970, these two big railway companies joined together. They formed a new company called the Burlington Northern. After the merger, freight trains started using the Northern Pacific tracks. Passenger trains, however, continued to use the Great Northern tracks.

Amtrak Takes Over Passenger Service

From 1971 onwards, a new company called Amtrak began operating all passenger train services. This meant that all passenger trains in Fargo started using the Great Northern depot.

1974 Amtrak train in Fargo

The original main station building stopped being used for trains in 1986. Since 1995, various shops and businesses have used this historic building. Amtrak now uses the former BNSF freight house as the station building.

The Fargo station, known as the Great Northern Depot, is an important historical site. It is listed as a contributing property in the National Register of Historic Places Downtown Fargo District.

How the Fargo Station Works Today

The Fargo station is a stop for Amtrak's Empire Builder train service. This train travels across the northern United States.

Where the Empire Builder Goes

• Westbound trains from Fargo head towards Spokane, Washington. From Spokane, the train splits. One part goes to Seattle, Washington, and the other goes to Portland, Oregon.
• Eastbound trains from Fargo travel towards Chicago.

The Empire Builder makes several stops between these major cities. About one out of every eight passengers on the Empire Builder train gets on or off at the Fargo station.

Past Train Services

Before the Empire Builder became the main service, the station also served another train. This was the North Coast Hiawatha. However, that service was combined into the Empire Builder in 1979.

Future Plans for Train Travel

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has suggested new train services. These services would connect Fargo-Moorhead with the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. This route is a top priority project for Minnesota's regional rail plans. If these plans go forward, the current Fargo Amtrak station would be used for these new services.

Train Passengers at Fargo Station

Even though Fargo is the biggest city in North Dakota, it has the third-highest number of train passengers in the state. Minot and Williston stations have more passengers.

One reason for this is the train schedule. The Empire Builder train stops in Fargo during the middle of the night. It arrives between 2 AM and 4 AM for both eastbound and westbound journeys. In 2010, about 60 passengers on average got on or off the train at Fargo each day.

• Amtrak – Stations – Fargo, ND